The best gift.

For my birthday, I received a few gifts. Flowers from Lula, a movie date from my sister, cards, brunch and dinner dates from Joe, money from Kay and Bob (my in-laws), and a flu-bug from the kids.

Yeah, that last one was a bummer. Especially since our Girls on the Run Practice 5K was scheduled for October 29th. My birthday. Did I mention that I am Isabel's running buddy, which means I have to run alongside of her for the whole 5K? No problem when I'm healthy. With a flu? Um, it took lots of ibuprofen, Hall's cough drops and Excedrin to get me through. I'm so glad I was there, though, 'cause watching her win that race was the best birthday gift ever.

Did you catch that? Yep, I said "win". That girl rocked the race and took first place. For GOTR, we don't emphasize a winner, we want each girl to do their best. But you know Joe and I were bursting with pride when she was the first to cross the finish line!

Have you ever run in a 5K race? It's 3.2 miles, for the un-informed. When I was nine years old, I would have laughed at you if you said I was going to run that far. Every single one of our GOTR girls did it, though. What an empowering accomplishment!

Here they are at the starting line. Our real 5K race is on November 21st; we wanted the girls to get a feel for how it will go. (I love the focused expression on Isabel's face!)


At first, a lot of the girls took off sprinting. Not Isabel. She kept repeating, "slow and steady wins the race" along with me as she found her pace and stuck with it. (That's her, in front of the pack).


2.5 miles down, one-half to go...

The winner!

I'll admit it, I had tears in my eyes, hugging this incredible daughter of mine. I stand in awe of her determined spirit, and I am so honored to be her mom.

Isabel's friend, Maya, was the next to cross the finish line. They became friends in first grade, and their friendship is still going strong today.

Maya's mom, Monica, and I are part of the GOTR coaching team. We have six coaches altogether, and we have all had such fun being a part of this program!

The whole team:

Congratulations, Isabel, and thanks for the best birthday gift I could ever ask for! You've done your momma proud!

(Special thanks to Joe for taking such awesome photographs!)

And then there were two...

Isabel was the first to fall.

Pretty mild, temp of 100, no appetite, over a 3 day weekend (no school missed, two pounds lost, yet to be regained).

Elijah was next.

Started last Saturday night, still having fevers along with no appetite, body aches and a horrible cough with a runny nose. Haven't weighed him yet, but no doubt he lost some weight, too.

Gabe dropped like a ton of bricks before my very eyes yesterday. He was totally fine, went to preschool, came home and within ten minutes went from happily telling me about his day to writhing on the floor complaining of his legs, head and throat "feeling funny", on fire with a fever of nearly 103. His is the worst cough, although his fever isn't as stubborn as Elijah's.

Joe and I are the only two left standing.

Thank God. Someone has to be the nurse/chef/playmate/housekeeper for these little sickos. At least Isabel is on the mend, and Elijah is feeling a bit better. That way we'll have backup if we do succumb.

H1N1? Don't know. The likelihood is "yes", but the treatment won't vary from what I'm doing on my own, so we stay away from the doctor unless the therapy of rest-fluids-tylenol-ibuprofen-cough-strips fails. Gabe is the only one making me a bit nervous; I have a hawkeye out for him.

The best birthday present I could get is a free pass from this bug. (Hint, hint, God. Prayers are appreciated.)

Are you and yours staying well and swine-free? Or have you gotten it and moved on?

Calling all bookclub fans!

Anyone ever been here?

It's the Kansas City public library in Missouri.

How awesome is that!

I would love for our library to look like this!

In my footsteps...

In the fall of 1991, I received my letter of acceptance to The Christ Hospital School of Nursing. I don't know who was more excited, my parents or me. No one in my family was in the medical profession; I had no idea what I was in for, but we were thrilled of my prospects, nonetheless.

Fast forward eighteen years (how is that even possible?!)...

I have done many things in my nursing career. Intensive care, home care, private duty, labor and delivery, emergency room, med/surg, float pool, even psych. Now, I'm in management as a nursing supervisor, responsible for the whole hospital during my shift.

Nursing has not only been my career; it's been my calling. Only God knows how many lives I have touched over the years, and I have treasured caring for so many wonderful patients and their families.

So it is with great pride that I tell you about my niece, Danielle, who has decided to follow in my footsteps and start nursing school next fall. I am so excited I can barely stand it! Last week, Danielle asked if she could shadow me at the hospital for Career Day. I'm hoping our experience didn't change her mind :)

We visited the Special Care nursery and saw a set of preemie twins. We toured the ER, but didn't see anything extraordinary at the time. I took her through the ICU's and introduced her to many of my friends, some who have pursued other avenues of nursing such as nurse anesthesia and nurse practitioner. There are so many opportunities for nurses...I can't wait to see where Danielle's career and ambitions take her in the years to come!

Thanks, Danielle, for making your Aunt Heddy so darn proud! I love you, girl!


(For those of you who know her, Danielle is the oldest daughter of my big sis, Michelle. You know, the ex-blogger who can no longer share her "tales of the lunchroom" 'cause she's the BOSS of the lunchroom now!)

Please help me wish Danielle good luck on this exciting journey!

Pancake Saturday

Not that it has to be Saturday to make yummy pancakes, but isn't that usually the day you end up making them?

I had been craving some Sweet Potato Pancakes like the ones they serve at a little cafe near Catherine's house, so I decided to make my own.

Wanna try? Here's the ingredients:

Make the batter according to the pancake mix recipe, with slightly less water/milk than called for. Add a tablespoon of ground flax seed, half a jar of sweet potato babyfood (stage 3) and a teaspoon of cinnamon. You could also add a touch of vanilla if the mood strikes. I like pecans in every kind of pancake, so I added some to mine (but not the kids').

I let the batter sit for a few minutes while the griddle was heating up. Seems to thicken a bit this way.

Cook just as you would any other pancake; if the sweet potatoes are chunky, you may want to lower the temp of the griddle and cook for a touch longer, to make sure they're plenty hot.

Serve with butter and maple syrup for a delicious and nutritious breakfast. Hello, you can't go wrong with flax seed (source of Omega-3 fatty acids) and sweet potatoes (lots of vitamin A)!

Enjoy!

Birthday party etiquette (and a kitten pic, too!)

The kittens are one week old in this picture, with their eyes still closed, but already developing little personalities. Gabe loves to "play" with them, and Autumn seems to enjoy the break (every mom needs a break, right?).


This past Saturday, Gabe was invited to a classmate's birthday party. The mom was taking five preschoolers to the movie theater to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", then back home to her house for dinner, dessert and presents.

Most of you know Gabe enough by now to understand my anxiety in subjecting another mother to the wildness that can be Gabe, especially when he is excited...

Before allowing him to go, I sat him down to discuss some birthday party etiquette.

Me: Gabe, Jack's mom is paying for you to see this movie. You need to be on your best behavior, be a good listener, and say thank you to her, okay?

Gabe: Okay, Mom. I hope I get a Hot Wheel for Jack's birthday!

Me: Gabe, this is Jack's party. He will be the one getting the gifts, just like you did on your birthday.

Gabe: Well, when is my second birthday? Tomorrow?

Me: No, you only get one birthday per year. Now, back to the party. Make sure you say thank you to Jack's mom for dinner; she's cooking some yummy spaghetti and meatballs. Use your best manners, okay?

Gabe: Sure. Jack will let me play with his new toys, right?

Me: I don't know. I'm sure you will get to play with something. But no fits, okay? Can you remember all this? You need to be on your best birthday-party-behavior, okay? (I'm getting more nervous here...)

Gabe: Yeah, yeah, I know. NO FIGHTING, NO YELLING, NO HITTING KIDS IN THE FACE WITH A BASEBALL BAT.

Me: (Dear Lord.) Um, okay. (I'm praying fervently at this point...)

(p.s. The party was fine, Gabe really was on his best behavior, and Jack even shared some cool Spiderman wrapping paper with Gabe, which he still has. I think we've turned another corner here, folks!)

Calling it quits

Dear Mr. Headache,

You have plagued me since elementary school, second grade to be exact.

At first it was because my vision was impaired. I got glasses. (I hated them). I wouldn't wear them. Fine, those headaches were a result of my vanity and I guess I deserved them. They still sucked. Whatever.

Then puberty struck. Every single month, you would bring me a headache on a silver platter to herald Aunt Flo's impending arrival. Not even Pamprin or Midol would make a dent on those suckers; Excedrin and a cold face mask became my best friends.

Fast forward to the 27 months I spent pregnant, subject to daily doses of hormones and headaches, WITHOUT being able to take anything stronger than a freakin' Tylenol. Those were some good times, I tell you.

Now, I have to admit, sometimes a headache comes well-deserved. Like after a night of ten pomegranate martinis, mixed with a few margaritas. Or anytime gin is involved. When I know a headache is inevitable and yet I still imbibe, I totally deserve the pain you inflict. Fine.

But now, really? My vision is perfect (thank you, the miracle that is Lasik). I am done with my pregnancy days. I can look at my calendar and see exactly when Aunt Flo is due to visit; I don't need you to prepare me. And I really don't drink all that often. My liver could use a break from all that Excedrin, and my children would love a mommy who isn't hushing them every five minutes because she "has a bad headache".

Please take this plea of mine into consideration. You have been with me for far too long; it's time to call this relationship quits.

Thanks so much,

Heather

A day of bliss...

Yesterday was a divine day, in many ways.

I woke early enough to shower and get ready for church before the madness of Sunday morning began.

I took the boys to church for Sunday School and a good service (Joe stayed back with Isabel, who was having a bit of a fever).

After church, I rushed home to get ready for my day of bliss.

It involved driving to my local Archivers scrapbook store for this:


with my scrap-loving sister, Michelle, who I don't see nearly enough of:


We chatted and laughed and shared ideas while I worked on my album about this trip:

We were fed snacks and dinner, given free demos and awarded prizes, all while surrounded by an endless supply of scrapbooking supplies.

Seriously, it does not take much to make me happy.

Thanks to my big sis for wanting to spend the afternoon with me; thanks to Joe for making it all possible and taking care of the kiddos while I was gone.

How was your Sunday?

Oh that Hair!

Yep, we've got some Twilight fans 'round these parts.

Isabel and I are counting down the hours until New Moon, and planning to re-read the book next month before we go. I love that she shares my love of Edward, and his hair.



So it really shouldn't have come as a surprise when she noticed the striking similarity of her little brother to her favorite actor...

One day, Gabe decided he wanted some gel in his hair. Have I ever mentioned that Gabe has great hair? Since he was a baby, he has had what I always called "McDreamy" hair after my fave hospital show, Gray's Anatomy.

But when Isabel saw him, she exclaimed, "He looks just like Edward!".

Which made me take a second glance...

I think I might be in some trouble with this boy in the not-too-distant future. What do you think?

Nothing but excitement 'round these parts!

This trip had been planned for months. Babysitters lined up, assistance with transportation of my kiddos arranged, food bought, menus planned.

And then two hours before we were scheduled to leave, Autumn decides NOW is a good time to have her litter of kittens. Really, I'm glad it happened that way, otherwise I would have missed the whole thing and been sorely disappointed.

At noon, her water broke. I was so excited, I made Joe run and get Isabel from school so she could see the birth. This is the only litter we're letting Autumn have, so we had to get the most out of it as possible. Mamaw Kay and Mamaw Carol were here, as well as Joe and Gabe. Poor Autumn, I'm surprised she was still able to labor with all of us gathered around!

After climbing into my box springs (!) and having to be cut out, she finally settled into this cozy spot inside my bedframe.


Her first kitten was a dark striped boy, who Isabel named Casper. After watching two of the kittens being born, Gabe announced, "Oh, my stomach is hurting!". I was worried that the birth process was getting to be too much for him, when he said, "It's making my stomach hurt 'cause they're SO STINKING CUTE, Mom!". Love him...

None of us had ever witnessed a cat giving birth, so we were all enthralled. However, it was time to get going on our trip. When we left, there were four kittens. Isabel called me an hour later to announce the birth of the fifth (and final) kitten. I dreamt that night that Autumn kept dropping kittens throughout the entire house! I'm so relieved there are only five!

On to the rest of the weekend...

We had gorgeous autumn weather, high's in the low 60's, lows in the 40's, with yellow, orange and red leaves everywhere you looked. Couldn't have asked for more.

My brother-in-law, Paul, turned forty-four while we there, and we couldn't resist teasing him while we were at "Old Man's" cave on Saturday. He was a pretty good sport about it.

Pictures just don't even do it justice, but you can get the idea.

The views from inside of Rock House were amazing. I love these pics...

It was a peaceful weekend, full of quiet moments like this one:

But also filled with laughter, card games, hiking, (drinking) and eating. Lots of food. Some at restaurants, some cooked at the cabin. This delicious meal was prepared totally by the men, while Rhonda and I chilled out by the fire. Heavenly, I tell you.

Sunday, we hiked around our cabin and up to Rockbridge. While on the path to Rockbridge, we were able to see the zipliners careening through the woods. It looked amazing! We are SO coming back next year to do that!

Once the kitties are a little bigger, I'll post some more pics. If I can keep them safe from Gabe's VERY loving hands, that is...

I am back.

We had a great time, and I promise that a post chock-ful of pictures will follow.

However, right now I am standing knee-deep in the middle of laundry and dishes and baby kittens (five to be exact!), and it's gonna take at least another day to get out of this mess.

Thanks for your patience. Regular programming will resume in approximately 24 hours.

A Weekend Equation

What do you get when you add the scenery in Hocking Hills, Ohio...




throw in a cabin (a bit more modern and, well, insulated, than this one)...

mixed with a sister that you adore...

combined with (a lot of) alcoholic beverages, card games and maybe even some Pictionary?

Don't forget to add your sister's other (not necessarily better) half...

And whaddya get?

A weekend free of parental obligation (thanks to the mamaws in our lives!) but full of fun and great memories.

I'll share them with you upon our return!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend, too!

Arachnids, go home!

Dear Miss Spider,

Please take your tea party elsewhere.

While Isabel and even Gabe enjoyed your books for awhile, and even your show, we do NOT like for you to bring your friends over to our humble abode.


Not every spider is as cute and friendly as you are.

And for some reason (the weather change, perhaps?), every spider in the midwestern region seems to think that our house is suddenly the place to be.

Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the hard work you all do in my garden, keeping the pesky bugs at bay. I enjoy looking at a beautiful web, admiring the talent it took to achieve that utter perfection.

What I DON'T enjoy is stumbling upon a hairy, eight-legged creature stealthily crawling on my wall or ceiling. Especially in my bedroom, or that of my kids. Do you not get the sense that you're unwelcome by the fearful shrieks or the shoes being thrown at your head?

Seriously, take a hint...

This house is closed to all arachnids for the season. Come back in March, and we'll talk.

Sincerely,

Miss Heather

Lucky Thirteen

Thirteen is not traditionally a lucky number.

We have no Room 13's anywhere in the hospital.

You will rarely find an elevator numbered 13 in any building.

It's the number of bad luck and witches and scary movies (Friday the 13th, anyone?).

This year, Joe and I are out to prove that number wrong!

Thirteen years ago today, at exactly 1:30pm, I became Mrs. Joe. And though we have been through our share of rough times, we are still going strong, relying on God and the support of our families to keep us heading in the right direction.

When I married Joe, we were 22 years old and full of confidence in ourselves, each other, and our marriage. Thirteen years, many jobs, homes, and three babies later...we realize that it's going to take more than ourselves to get us through. Thank God for His patience in letting us come to this realization on our own!

We have made so many great memories together...here are some of my favorites:

Christmas with our families. Joe fit right in with my family, and he loves my sisters' kids as much as I do.


My birthdays. Although Joe isn't the best at remembering a card, he does know how to make me feel special by dedicating a day to do whatever I want to for my birthday. Since it falls on October 29th, usually this involves a pumpkin patch or outdoor hike of some sort.


Joe grew up going to King's Island amusement park every summer, so it's old hat for him. But that doesn't stop him from sharing our excitement when the kids and I want to go.

Speaking of amusement parks, it was Joe's idea to take the whole family to Disney this year. We had the best vacation EVER, thanks to him, one we will always remember. (Another great thing about Joe: he totally supports my love of scrapbooking, as evidenced by his purchase of a Disney scrapbook just to hold our memories of this trip!)

Although it's hard to imagine now, there will be a day when the kids are grown and it's just Joe and me left at home. It is my fervent wish that when that day arrives, we will be able to have even more fun together than we do now.

Marriage takes a lot of effort, on both sides. In thirteen more years, the kids will be grown, and God willing, we will be right here, loving each other more every day.

Happy Anniversary, honey! I'm so looking forward to our Hocking Hills trip this weekend! I love you!

Run, girl, run!

I mentioned earlier in the summer that I would be part of the coaching team for Girls on the Run this fall.

We are three weeks in, and it's going remarkably well.

I love doing something with Isabel that the two of us love, and other than shopping, running is it!

This daughter of mine is nothing short of amazing! She and I have the same pace, which makes running together a great experience. And she has finally found a sport that she excels at...yay!

There are five other coaches on our team, and we get along amazingly well. I only knew two of the women before this; now we are well on our way to becoming friends. We have so much fun at the practices; it's hard to tell who likes GOTR better, the girls or us!

This is the Energy Award boa that we give one deserving girl at the end of each practice...I wanted a turn!

I am so proud of Isabel, and so excited to be a part of this experience with her. It's such a challenge as a mom to help each of your kids find their niche; I think this just may be one such niche for Isabel.

I'll be posting more about this after our 5K race in November...if you could leave a little comment for Isabel here, that would be great! She reads my blog all the time :)

You called me what?!

Being called creative is one of the best compliments anyone could ever give me, and a new blogger friend of mine has won my heart by doing just that.

Thanks, Jennifer! From one scrapbooker momma to another, I just love it!

Rules:

1-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2-Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4-Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5-Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7-Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

Okay, the first three are covered, onto number four. This might be difficult, 'cause y'all know I'm an open book. It is darn near impossible for me to keep quiet about anything...I'll give it a try, though.

1. Lately, I really enjoy going to the grocery store. Planning my menu for the week, clipping coupons and looking for good deals to make healthy meals for my family...it makes me feel so accomplished. (Clearly, this officially makes me a nerd!)

2. I must have a book to read, at all times. Even if I only have time to read one chapter a day, it makes me crazy when I am sans literature. The local librarians know me by name :)

3. The day has finally arrived when I can honestly say that I am DONE having babies. Having suffered from baby fever for most of my adult life, this is close to a miracle. Don't get me wrong; I still LOVE babies. I just don't want any more of my own. (Joe is breathing a huge sigh of relief right now, I am sure!)

4. Although I still suffer from SAHM-envy at times, I truly love my job. Working part-time night shift as a nursing supervisor, making sure that every patient in the hospital is being cared for and every staff member in the hospital is being able to provide the care they are trained for...I love this new phase of my nursing career. (And the money is an added bonus :)

5. I must have at least one cup of coffee a day. I am not a huge coffee snob, Folgers is fine. But it must be brewed, not instant, and I must have creamer of some sort (hazelnut is my fave). I will treat myself to a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks weekly from now until Thanksgiving, though.

6. My ultimate dream home is one that Joe and I build ourselves, on five acres of land, complete with a huge pole barn for him and a scrapbook room that opens up into my garden for me.

7. The one thing I dreamed of as a little girl was being a mom. I have no desires to climb the corporate ladder; I am living my dream, mothering my three babies the best way I know how, with God as my guide and my husband by my side. Does it get much better than that?

Now, on to the next rule. I am a rule follower most days, dontcha know?

My nominees for this award are:

* Suzann from The Olive Cottage. You wanna talk about creative, this girl has got it going on. We bonded over emails this past New Year's Eve, and someday we are going to meet IRL, I just know it!

* Rebecca from Knit by God's Hand. She has a such a heart for God and makes the most beautiful baby blankets you have ever seen. And she's practically my neighbor, living only one state away!

* Cara from Land of Bean. Head over to her blog right now and help vote her into winning a blog contest going on in her city. The stories of her little "bean", Sophie, will have you rolling!

* Jenny from Jenny and the Princess Peonies. She scrapbooks, refinishes furniture, decorates her home with flair. She is my idol. Seriously.

* Cammie from The House of No Sleep. Her stories about her epic goose battles are hilarious. And she scrapbooks, too! Oh, and she is a fellow Ohioan.

* Katy from What Katy Did. This Aussie friend of mine is the absolute best at sewing and screening. She has sent packages around the world to arrive at my doorstep, including the magical Sausage Dog that she made for Gabe. I can't wait 'til she has some babies of her own that I can spoil with some American goodies :)

* Lizzie from The Journey to the Hot Tub. Lizzy makes the best stick figure cartoons that I have ever seen. And even when life hands her lemons by the bushel, she can still manage to make us smile. I don't know how she does it.

Okey-dokey, there you have it. Go pay a visit to these folks; tell 'em Heather sent you!